#THEBEATBOX: Interview with Frost The Wave God

Taking inspiration for his artist name from legendary rapper Max B, Frost The Wave God has been working to create his own wave as a talented producer. We had the chance to talk to him about the series of upcoming EP’s he plans to release this year, his background, and his goals on this week’s segment of #THEBEATBOX, powered by [beatsnchill].

I wanted to start by asking, what’s the story or inspiration behind your artist name?The name Frost came from my close homies. I added the Wave God part just because I’m that much of a fan of Max B. Boss Don Biggavel. Domain Pain. The Silver Surfer.

How long have you been producing and how did you first get into it?I’ve been producing since I was 16/17 so almost 8 years now. I got into it just from my love of soul/funk and trap music. I always wanted to blend the two in most of what I do.

This dynamic beat co-produced by Frost The Wave God & Eddy Braveaux shows off their combined talents with a constantly shifting sound and a well-placed switch up near the end.

Would you say that you have developed your own sound as a producer, and if so, could you describe it yourself?I definitely think I’ve developed my own sound. The closest thing to it would be the Memphis style of making rap like DJ Squeeky and Three 6 Mafia.

You mentioned above that you’re a fan of Max B, what is it about him that you admire and has being a big fan of his translated into your production at all?I like all artists that dare to go against the grain and just be themselves. His music hasn’t necessarily translated into my production but I appreciate what he stood for. Start the trend, don’t be the trend. I don’t need to be validated when I’m confident in myself and my capabilities.

What would you say have been some of your most notable accomplishments as far as music production goes, so far?I produced tracks for some of the previous members of Raider Klan like Chris Travis, Ethelwulf (Xavier Wulf), Amber London and Key Nyata. I’ve also released some of my own beat tapes in the past. For the future, we’re gearing up to launch a multimedia company called Groundwerk. I’ll be working with new artists under that doing EPs.

Are there any specific traits or sounds you look for in artists you collaborate with?Somebody that can say things in their own way. They have their own lingo. It’s like looking at paintings. I don’t want to work with people who straight up copy another person’s style.

This track was released as part of a three-song teaser for the five-track EP that DANGLA had planned to release later this year.

What are some of your music related goals moving forward?The goal right now is to get Groundwerk to the next level. We’re starting with music distribution and publishing but it’s going to be a platform that allows us to create our own content from end to end, even outside of music. Pretty much creating a culture and programming like Vice was able to do.

I saw that you were a UCF alum and wanted to know if you studied anything relating to music or if attending UCF helped you out in terms of your music career in any other way?I didn’t study music at UCF. I actually received a degree in Information Technology but going to college helped me get my network up.

I’ve met and worked with people from all types of backgrounds. They helped me connect with people in different cities for music and outside of music.

“Your business skills should be just as sharp as your beat-making skills. “

Are you working on any projects or planning to release anything soon?This year y’all should expect 5-track EPs from the following names:– OG Kelz– Stokely Carmichael – Alezi– Ebonique Brooks– Eddy Braveaux– Buhlil

Exclusively produced by me

Would you mind sharing a bit more about any of the EPs?I can tell you that each one will sound drastically different. I’m trying to showcase the versatility of my style as well as the styles of each of the artists mentioned. So the music is going to range from golden era hiphop to G-funk to trap to R&B.

What have you been listening to lately?Damn that’s a long list lol. Mostly new or underground artists.

Despite being one of the older tracks on his Soundcloud, this instrumental beat is still a good testament to Frost’s production skills. I can easily imagine several of my favorite rappers providing vocals for this one.

I saw that your location is currently set in Atlanta on your bio, were you formerly based out of Orlando while in school?Yea I was. I use to live in Jacksonville, FL as well.

I moved around a lot.

Baltimore, Baltimore County, and New Jersey too.

How would you compare the creative scenes in Florida to other places you’ve lived while you’ve made music?The creative scene is pretty strong compared to other places to be honest. It’s just hard sometimes for everybody to link up because the state is so huge. But I always tried to make sure I hit places like Miami, South Florida, Orlando and Tampa as much as possible while living in Jacksonville because networking is so important. It might look like Florida isn’t strong because there’s a lot of people from Florida who moved to a different city before they made it big.

What’s some advice you’d give to other aspiring producers?GET YOUR PAPERWORK IN ORDER.

Your business skills should be just as sharp as your beat-making skills. Register with a Performance Rights Organization. Make sure you do split sheets with artists and put it in writing or on a document. You don’t always have to charge upfront, the money on the backend can be way better. Understand what sync licenses are. Read through a contract 100 times before signing it.

INVEST IN YOURSELF.

You may have to sacrifice going out with friends sometimes or buying new clothes/shoes in order to buy solid equipment for a home studio. Work with as many people as possible and learn different techniques. Learn mixing and mastering. Tweak those fundamentals to your style, don’t steal someone’s sauce. Learn from youtube for 15-30 minutes a day to stay on point. It’s free!

NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK.

I think that’s a good point to end on, was there anything else you wanted to add?Look out for Groundwerk Multimedia and Novoa Core and follow the social media handles on IG/Twitter